KrisYYZ From Canada, joined Nov 2004, 1575 posts, RR: 0 Posted (7 years 2 months 18 hours ago) and read 5917 times:
I know a pilots ability and skill depends on their experience and personal attributes. But are there factors that make a group of pilots stand out among the rest?
Are ex-military pilots more "risk takers" or are pilots that have only flown commercially considered more accustom to flying pax?
Are there airlines that have a reputation for having really good or bad pilots?
For some reason I think of Cathy and IB respectively.
I've also noticed that some airlines have Captains in their 30s on heavies, and other airline only seem to promote Captains to B744/777/767/A330/340/MD11 after they turn 50 or so.
Of course you'll have Yes/No answers to all your questions.
Attitude IMO is a big factor on whether a pilot is 'good' or not.
Also, culture affects the performance of the flight crew. I know of many stories of where Asian flight crews had problems because of issues with seniority, and second-in-command not wanting to challenge the captain's decisons etc.
Jimbo
I'd rather be on the ground wishing I was in the air, than in the air wishing I was on the ground!
AirTran737 From United States of America, joined Apr 2004, 3639 posts, RR: 12 Reply 7, posted (7 years 2 months 17 hours ago) and read 5710 times:
One could argue that the military pilots are the best. They have been trained on taking aircraft to the limits, and how to push the envelope. One the other hand civilian pilots have been trained to fly airplanes the way they were meant to be flown. I know military and non-military pilots, and to be honest there really isn't a difference. The military guy can reminisce about doing CAT-Shots in an F14, whereas the civilian can reflect on flight instructing in a 152.
Nice Trip Report!!! Great Pics, thanks for posting!!!! B747Forever
Laddb From United States of America, joined Feb 2001, 191 posts, RR: 0 Reply 8, posted (7 years 2 months 16 hours ago) and read 5679 times:
How about crop duster or bush pilots? Acrobatic and test pilots? Or those that make it to pilot the shuttle or other space craft? Air Force One pilots? How can you say one is better than the other?
But of course everyone knows that THE best pilot in the world is Lt. Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell (Tom Cruise in Top Gun). He had the attitude down perfect.
Quoting Luv2fly (Reply 9): I'll have to throw my vote in for the ones that have yet to crash!
Second that.
Seriously though, I would think different pilots would excel with different aircraft. Example, a fighter pilot might be great with a fighter, but it may be a completely different story with a 747, assuming of course the pilot is trained for both. I think the question you are asking is highly subjective, it depends on ones view of "the best pilot."
A319XFW From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 12, posted (7 years 2 months 13 hours ago) and read 5431 times:
The best pilot in an airliner is someone who gets you from A to B safely, in comfort and with a nice "kiss" landing
And to quantify, the best landing I've had was with an Airbus test pilot on an A319 (essentially you could hardly tell you'd landed) and the second best with a female Blue1 pilot on an RJ. So gender doesn't come into who is the best pilot!
N328KF From United States of America, joined May 2004, 6222 posts, RR: 3 Reply 14, posted (7 years 2 months 13 hours ago) and read 5411 times:
I will put in my vote for military pilots who have tanker or transport time. They're used to piloting similar aircraft, and no doubt get tons of hours. They are also probably used to long-endurance flights.
When they call the roll in the Senate, the Senators do not know whether to answer 'Present' or 'Not guilty.' T.Roosevelt
Bobnwa From United States of America, joined Dec 2000, 5974 posts, RR: 9 Reply 15, posted (7 years 2 months 13 hours ago) and read 5402 times:
Quoting AirTran737 (Reply 7): One could argue that the military pilots are the best. They have been trained on taking aircraft to the limits, and how to push the envelope.
Most military pilots do not fly fighters and have no experience taking aircraft to the limits. That being said, military pilots are probably the best because of the extensive training they receive on systems, electronics, weather,ATC and a multitude of other subjects.
IBERIA747 From Spain, joined Aug 2003, 1825 posts, RR: 62 Reply 16, posted (7 years 2 months 13 hours ago) and read 5388 times:
Quoting KrisYYZ (Thread starter): Are there airlines that have a reputation for having really good or bad pilots?
For some reason I think of Cathy and IB respectively.
That must be a very strange reason indeed. . Don't worry, I'm not asking.
Just have to say that one of IB's strengths is the extraordinary quality and training of their pilots. I do criticize IB many times when I see something I don't like, but in this case I couldn't disagree more with your statement.
In fact, that's the main reason that makes me fly with Iberia...the sensation of safety and confidence that I feel every time I step on one of their aircraft. Safety-wise I know I am in good hands....good aircraft, good maintenance and excellent pilots.
And I am not saying that they're the best, but they're certainly among the best.
CRGsFuture From United States of America, joined Jan 2006, 536 posts, RR: 1 Reply 19, posted (7 years 2 months 12 hours ago) and read 5325 times:
Best pilots are the ones who land safely, aren't cocky, and know what they're talking about.
A pilot is a pilot, saying one is better to another is comparing fruits to veggies, all pilots are trained in the type rating and environments the airlines or Air Forces want. Like LX with training extensively with mountain and snow flying, pilots in the US trained with knowing every FAA procedure in the book. Tanker pilots taught how to keep a steady airspeed, all of these are meant to keep you the passenger or payload safe, and to their final destination weither MAD; or the side of a building.
Flying you to your destination; your girlfriend to her dreams.
TinkerBelle From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 20, posted (7 years 2 months 8 hours ago) and read 5138 times:
Quoting Elal106 (Reply 17): The former pilots of the Israeli Air Force who now fly for ELAL, Israir and Arkia.
That sounds to me like a biased comment considering your username.
I don't know if you can say an F-16 pilot is better than the 59 year old dude flying a 747 coz they do different things with different stuff. Maybe you should have asked 'what makes one the best commercial pilot'. Anyways, the best pilot is the guy who get's you from point A to B but if I had to chose regardless of equipment, those blue angels suckers are pretty awesome. I just watched them yesterday and could give my left nut to fly one of those.
Mm320cap From United States of America, joined Jul 2004, 211 posts, RR: 4 Reply 21, posted (7 years 2 months 8 hours ago) and read 5107 times:
Geesh,
What a question. There is no answer. No airline has the "Best" pilots. Every airline has some great pilots and some not so great pilots. You might be able to ask "Which airline has the best training?", but even that is really very subjective. I've had great training events at my airline, and lousy ones. Depends on the instructors, etc. etc.
As far as military vs. civilian. Again, from my experience, there is no correct answer. I've had some incredible military F/O's and some incredible civilian F/O's that came up through the commuter ranks. It just depends on the individual. Then again, how do you define a "good" pilot? One that flies smoothly? One that makes good landings? One that flies an iron cross ILS down to minimums? Makes excellent decisions? There is too much to quantify.
I warn you, fair readers, that there is more to your flight than the landing. I've flown with some guys that I would consider EXCELLENT pilots that just make average landings, and I've seen some guys/gals that kind of scared me who would press a pair of pants on the runway with their landings.
GentFromAlaska From United States of America, joined Feb 2005, 2063 posts, RR: 2 Reply 22, posted (7 years 2 months 6 hours ago) and read 4981 times:
Any bush pilot in Alaska who can land a plane on a glacier using ski's. As for the best "trained" commercial pilots, my vote goes to Alaska Airlines. They have to be flying around all of the mountains up here often in bad WX. AS was also the pioneer of the RNP/GPS technology. RNP = Realtime Navigational Performance which is now being used in Alaska and at other lower 48 airports such as SFO, DCA and RNO as I recall.
Man can be taken from Alaska. Alaska can never be taken from the man.
CO7e7 From United States of America, joined Dec 2004, 2848 posts, RR: 2 Reply 24, posted (7 years 2 months 5 hours ago) and read 4937 times:
Quoting Laddb (Reply 8): How can you say one is better than the other?
I don't think one pilot is better than another. Because if they were't really good they wouldn't be pilots to begin with.
I'll vote for # of hours and experience.
25 Rdwelch: My grandfather was IMHO the best hands down. He started out in the civil air sector flying for Heinkel Air in W. Penn (I think they were eventually ta
26 Superhub: If you mean best-trained commercial pilots or those who are most vigorously trained and have a high standard on safety and procedures...then CX pilots
27 N6238P: My very bias opinion is that the pilots that come out of SIU are the best. I do think the best pilots out there are the CFI's with the minimal flight
28 FXramper: what about the UA Sioux City Iowa flight crew. Are they not worthy? They survived!
29 TinkerBelle: That was one hell of a landing. Not many pilots would have landed that plane. Heck, I doubt they could have done it w/out the DC 10 instructor on the
30 Fly727: Numero uno: You mean Cathay Pacific instead of Cathy, right? Numero dos: Get ready for some good bashing from our Spaniard members. This question is
31 Nzrich: Any Pilot that can fly into DUD Dunedin New Zealand on a bad day with all the crosswinds there has my vote had some very hair raising flights in to th
33 Zkpilot: LOL I'm Just waiting to hear somebody say "me!" oh the flamming they will get!
34 Bond007: Of course that's not true. Any job that requires qualifications, from CPAs to Doctors to Truck Drivers to Chefs etc.. there are good ones and not so
36 Bond007: Agreed. IMO how smooth the landing is has nothing to with how good a pilot is. Whether or not you do a smooth landing or not is more luck than judgem
37 Arrow: Definition of a good pilot: an aviator who uses his/her superior judgment to ensure that he/she rarely ever has to use his/her superior skills.
38 IBERIA747: No reason for bashing anyone here pal. I just told him that there was no reason to think the way he did/does...read reply 16. Anyway...I pretty much
39 N908AW: Best pilots are the ones that use pilot lingo to tell you where we are. Best pilots are the ones who can stick a landing in 35kts crosswinds on 25L in
40 CO787: In my opinon, the best pilots would have to be former fighter pilots with extensive commerical training. Anybody who can land a F-16 moving 180mph on
41 Mikkel777: The superior pilot is the pilot who, through the use of his superior judgement, minimizes the need for his superior skill. And, I am 100% certain that
42 FSPilot747: You wanted to know who the best is? That's him. Iceman. He flies ice-cold. No mistakes.
43 VEEREF: Ding ding ding! Folks we have a winner! Couldn't have said it better myself!
44 Bravo45: Well I think it depends on your defination of best. Some would consider those who fly smoothly,land smoothly and so on. In my opinion you can't say a
45 SLUAviator: No way.... us SLU pilots are way better then anything SIU could ever dream of cooking up! HA HA! I have a couple of friends who went there, we get in
46 CosmicCruiser: They never have 50-60kt x-winds on a carrier. Jeez!!
47 PanAm92: The US Navy pilots who just have flown a night mission only to land their plane on a moving ship in almost total darkness.
48 Barney Captain: Too many movies my boy. And an F-16 on an aircraft carrier? Hmmmmm...
49 Seanp11: Well, I think F-16s have an emergency tail hook, but the stress of landing on a carrier would probably cause the landing gear to collapse.
50 XFSUgimpLB41X: Navy pilots don't have crosswinds suckas
51 Seanp11: yeah, its kinda nice that they can change the orientation of their runway at will.
52 Zeke: Don't agree with that, all pilots are risk takers, the job is about minimising the risk, and being the last hole in the Swiss cheese so that it does
53 AR1300: I remember once Legacy135 gave an explanation on this and the whole point was that it depends on the airline and it's requirements.For some military i
54 GoAllegheny: Arrow's definition is a pretty good one. I think an equally good question would be, when the chips are down, who would you want as your pilot on a com
55 Omand1: Here is my worth. I am going to say that while you get great pilots out of the civillian stream, it is the military trained pilots that seem to be abl
56 Planespotting: You take anyone of those pilots out of the equation and that plane crashes and everybody dies. Perfect example of CRM, especially since something lik
57 Zeke: http://www.f-16.net/gallery_item46127.html http://www.f-16.net/gallery_item45982.html Lots of airports have arrester cables.
58 N49WA: Any pilot who lives by the age-old aviation axiom: "There are old pilots and there are bold pilots, but there are no old, bold pilots."
59 Seanp11: Zeke already got that, but yeah they do. Its not the same as the arrestor hook on carrier based planes. Goes to show what playing falcon 4 can show y
60 FXramper: negative. they threw the scab in the back to calm down pax (check rudder movement and right turns) and brought the check airman up front! hellva job
61 XFSUgimpLB41X: So true 49WA... Fly safe, fly smart, fly standard.... fly the contract. I like seeing a pilot that flies the standard with a smart application of proc
62 Planespotting: point taken, I should have said that most likely no F-16 would land on an aircraft carrier even with the tailhook, unless their ejection seat was bro
63 BNG777: Any pilot that lift tonnes and tonnes of metal, luggage,fuel, freight, passengers and food off the ground and manage to bring it back down after hours
64 Iwok: Here's my, "never been behind the yoke 2-cents opinion"... I'd say, any pilot who flew before auto landing and fly by wire, who knows how to navigate
65 Rdwelch: Man, I love you. You my Aussie friend have hit the nail on the head. Day in and day out, getting the job done, but always being prepared for the anom
66 Astuteman: The Greeks, obviously! AND the American Indians are the best endowed! Regards Tonto Popadopolis
68 Faenum: Sounds like you may have been influenced by Ernest K Gann’s “Fate Is The Hunter”, a favourite book of mine. Two quotes, Captain Ross: “In thi
69 Nzrich: i will add the best ones are the LIVE ones
70 KCMike: As far as fixed wing goes, any United States Navy pilot im my oppinion is the cream of the crop. But when it comes down to flying helicopters, United
72 Iwok: You are correct. What a great book. After I finished reading it I developed a new respect for pilots. The crap they have to go through, especially wh
73 SonOfACaptain: My humble opinion: It all depends on the person. There are naturals, and there are people who don't belong on a plane. You will find that everywhere y
74 HAWK21M: The ones that take their Job seriously regds MEL
75 Azstagecoach: What about anyone who regularly landed the 747's at the old Kai Tak airport in HKG, given that approach. That must have taken real talent. the approac
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